Will Ferrellhas tried his best to branch out from comedy over the years, doing everything from foreign beer commercials to a Lifetime Original movie withKristen Wiig. But comedy is clearly what he is best at and what brings in the most at the box office, so that is what he is sticking to at the moment. That being the case, Legendary Pictures has tapped him to star in and produce a new comedy about the world ofeSports.
The Hollywood Reporter broke the news thatWill Ferrellhad been tapped for the as-of-yet untitled comedy that will take place in the world of competitive gaming. In the movie,Will Ferrellwill be playing something of a fish out of water, as he will be a middle aged guy competing against a bunch of teenagers for large sums of money. Here is how THR is describing the movie.
It definitely seems like the kind of thing that is right inWill Ferrell’s wheelhouse and could wind up being a pretty great concept, depending on how it is fleshed out. The world of eSports has absolutely exploded in recent years, with massivecash prizesavailable to competitors and massive audiences assembling to watch the events. Plus, Twitch and YouTube streams for the events regularly draw thousands of spectators. Even ESPN and Fox Sports have started to televise thegaming eventsin recent years, so there is certainly an audience for it. Assuming they don’t just insult the integrity of those who take the sport seriously.
Michael KvammeandJordan Dunnhave been hired to write the script for the movie, who have also been hired to writeSpongebob Squarepants 3for Paramount. It seems like Legendary is looking to make the movie seem at least semi-authentic, as two of the premiere eSports teams, Evil Geniuses and Fnatic, are in talks to appear in the movie according to the report. This won’t be the first timeWill Ferrellhas starred in an unconventional sports movie, as he also starred in the amateur league basketball comedySemi-Proin 2008, as well asBlades of Gloryin 2007, which took a look at the world of professional figure skating and paired him withNapoleon DynamitestarJon Heder.
Legendary hasn’t set a release date for thisWill Ferrell ESports Comedyyet, but it does sound like it is in the very early stages. At the moment,Will Ferrellhas plenty to keep him busy, as he is currently filming hisSherlock Holmescomedy withJohn C. Riley,Holmes & Watson. A sequel toDaddy’s Homehas also been announced, so that should be enough to fill his schedule until this movie is ready to go.
